Low tire pressure detector

• US 4,978,941 A
• Filed: 10/05/1989
• Issued: 12/18/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 07/11/1988
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Air CHEX Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Air CHEX Incorporated
• Inventors: Brown, Daniel M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Crosland, Donnie L.
• Application Number:
  US07/417,463
• Time in Patent Office: 439 Days
• Field of Search: 340/447, 340/445, 340/446, 340/444, 340/442, 73/146.8, 73/146.2, 73/146.5, 73/146.4, 116/34 R, 116/34 A, 116/34 B, 200/61.22
• US Class Current: 340/447
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/009 having wheels on a trailer
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0433 Radio signals

Abstract

A tire pressure monitoring system for vehicles characterized by a plurality of tire pressure sensors for sensing pneumatic pressure interiorly of the tire, a plurality of transmitters connected responsively with the tire pressure sensors and adapted to be energized when any one of the tire pressure sensors indicates a low pneumatic pressure within one of the tires; at least one receiver responsively disposed with respect to the transmitters so as to be energized by a transmitter when the transmitter is energized by the tire pressure sensor and a warning means, including a buzzer and a light, disposed in the operator'"'"'s cab for conveying the warning to the operator when a low tire pressure is sensed, the warning means being electrically connected with the receiver, or receivers, so as to be energized when the receivers are energize. Also the transmitters are disposed at the central hub so as not to unbalance the wheel and sense each tire on a wheel, even when its a dual wheel at each location; and wherein a pair of receivers are disposed one at the back of a towing portion of an eighteen wheel truck and one at the back of a towed portion of an eighteen wheel truck so as to be responsive to the transmitters at each of the dual wheel monitors.

Claims

1. A tire pressure monitoring system for a vehicle having a plurality of tires and having an operator'"'"'s cab comprising:

a. a plurality of tire pressure sensing means for sensing pneumatic pressure within said tires;

each of said tire pressure sensing means being in communication with its respective tire and operable to sense the pneumatic pressure therewithin;

said tire pressure sensing means being perpendicular to the plane of said tire such that it is insensitive to false alarms such as bounce or centrifugal force by said tire;

b. a plurality of transmitters connected, respectively and responsively with a plurality of said tire pressure sensing means, and adapted to be energized when any one of said tire pressure sensing means indicates a low pneumatic pressure within one of the tires;

c. at least one receiver responsively disposed near enough to said transmitters to be responsive to said transmitters so as to be energized by said transmitters when one of said transmitters is energized by its one tire pressure sensing means; and

d. a warning means disposed in the operator'"'"'s cab for conveying a warning to an operator when a low pressure is sensed within one of said tires;

said warning means being electrically connected with said receiver so as to be energized when said receiver is energized.

2. The tire pressure monitoring system of claim 1 wherein each of said transmitter is centrally disposed with respect to the periphery of the one wheel it is supposed to monitor.

3. The tire pressure monitoring system of claim 1 wherein the vehicle is a multiple wheeled truck and a plurality of said wheels are dual wheels having two tires mounted to a centrally disposed rotatable hub and each of said transmitter is mounted in alignment with said centrally disposed hub so as not to induce unbalance to said wheel.

4. The tire pressure monitoring system of claim 3 wherein each transmitter at each dual wheel location has a plurality of inlet transducers that are sensitive to pneumatic pressure and are sealingly connected in communication with the interior of a respective tire of the pair of tires for each of said dual wheels.

5. The tire pressure monitoring system of claim 4 wherein said vehicle is an eighteen-wheel truck having a towing portion and a towed portion with a plurality of dual wheels at at least the rear of said towing portion and at least one pair of dual wheels at the rear of said towed portion and wherein there is provided a transmitter centrally disposed at the radial interior, or center hub of each dual wheel location and wherein there is provided a plurality of receivers at least one receiver being within eighteen feet and within the transmitter range of each transmitter it is to monitor;

whereby any one of said transmitters can operably energize at least one of said receivers and all said receivers are electrically connected with said warning means of said cab.

6. The tire pressure monitoring system of claim 1 wherein said tire pressure sensing means comprises a pneumatically responsive piston, spring, threaded shaft, nut and limit switch such that when the tire pressure is adequate the nut is in proper position to prevent operation of the limit switch but when the tire pressure is low, the nut falls down and allows operation of the limit switch.

7. The tire pressure monitoring system of claim 6 wherein a pressure gauge is in fluid communication with the pressure interiorly within the tire and to which the sensing means is subjected.

8. The tire pressure monitoring system of claim 1 wherein said warning means is hardwired with said receiver and wherein an electrical interconnector is provided between a towed portion of a vehicle and a towing portion of a vehicle.

9. An apparatus for detecting low pressure in a vehicle tire, said tire lying in a plane, comprising:

(a) a piston slidingly disposed in an assembly, said piston having two sides, one of said piston sides being adapted to be in communication with air located inside of said tire, the other of said piston sides being in contact with spring means, wherein said spring means pushes said piston when a predetermined low pressure is applied to said one side of said piston;

(b) switch means disposed in said assembly and located adjacent to said piston so as to be actuated when said spring means pushes said piston due to low air pressure;

(c) a transmitter being electrically connected to said switch means, said transmitter being located in said assembly and being powered by a battery in said assembly, wherein said switch means energizes said transmitter when said spring means pushes said piston due to low air pressure;

(d) said assembly being adapted to be coupled to said tire such that said piston moves in a direction that is perpendicular to the plane of said tire, said assembly being centrally disposed to said tire, wherein the orientation of said piston reduces false low pressure alarms.

10. An apparatus for detecting low pressure in vehicle tires, each of said tires lying in a plane, comprising:

(a) a plurality of sensing assemblies, each of said assemblies having a piston slidingly disposed therein, said piston having two sides, one of said piston sides being adapted to be in communication with air located within the respective tire, the other of said piston sides being in contact with respective spring means, wherein said respective spring means pushes said respective piston when a predetermined low pressure is applied to said one side of said piston;

(b) each of said assemblies have a switch means disposed therein, said respective switch means being located adjacent to said respective piston so as to be actuated when said spring means pushes said piston due to low air pressure;

(c) each of said assemblies having a transmitter that is electrically connected to said switch means, said transmitter being powered by a battery in said assembly, wherein said switch means energizes said transmitter when said spring means pushes to said piston due to low air pressure;

(d) each of said assemblies being coupled to a tire such that said respective piston moves in a direction that is perpendicular to the plane in said respective tire, each of said assemblies being centrally disposed on said respective tires;

(e) a receiver located on said vehicle so as to be near said transmitters so that said receiver can receive a signal produced by said transmitters;

(f) warning means for warning of a low tire condition, said warning means being located in a cab of said vehicle and being electrically connected with said receiver, said warning means having indicating means that is operated when said receiver receives a signal from one of said transmitters.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein said vehicle has sets of dual tires, with said dual tires being located adjacent to each other, wherein each of said assemblies that is coupled to a set of dual tires has two pistons, one for each tire, each of said pistons actuating a respective switch means that is connected to a transmitter, said pistons being oriented perpendicularly to the plane of said respective tires.

12. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein each of said transmitters comprises tire indicator means for indicating a low pressure condition.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein each of said transmitters comprises test switch means for selectively operating said respective transmitter for test purposes.

14. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein:

(a) said vehicle has sets of dual tires, each set of dual tires having two tires that are located adjacent to each other, wherein each of said assemblies that is coupled to a set of dual tires has two pistons, one for each tire, each of said pistons actuating a respective switch means that is connected to a transmitter, said pistons being oriented perpendicularly to the plane of said respective tires;

(b) each of said transmitters comprises tire indicator means for indicating a low pressure condition, said tire indicator means comprising a light source;

(c) each of transmitters comprises test switch means for selectively operating said respective transmitter for test purposes.

15. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein said vehicle is an 18- wheeled truck, there being a receiver located at the aft portion of the truck and a receiver located at the forward portion of the truck, with both of said receivers being connected to said warning means, wherein the distance between the transmitters and the receives is minimized.

16. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein said warning means comprises delay means for delaying the operation of said indicating means for a predetermined period of time during the application of a signal from said receiver to said warning means, wherein said delay means prevents said indicating means from being operated by false signals of short duration.

17. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein said warning means comprises reset means for resetting said indicating means, wherein said indicating means can be reset when operating to determine if a false signal is present a t said warning means.

18. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein:

(a) said vehicle is an 18-wheeled truck, there being a receiver located at the aft portion of the truck and a receiver located at the forward portion of the truck, with both of said receivers being connected to said warning means, wherein the distance between the transmitters and the receives is minimized;

(b) said warning means comprises delay means for delaying the operation of said indicating means for a predetermined period of time during the application of a signal from one of said receivers to said warning means, wherein said delay means prevents said indicating means from being operated by false signals of short duration;

(c) said warning means comprises reset means for resetting said indicating means, wherein said indicating means can be reset when operating to determine if a false signal is present at said warning means.

19. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein said piston has a threaded shaft with a nut located thereon, said switch means comprising a limit switch that is kept depressed by contacting said nut until said piston is pushed by said spring means due to low pressure, wherein said limit switch becomes closed and energizes said transmitter.

20. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein:

(a) said vehicle has sets of dual tires, each set of dual tires having two tires that are located adjacent to each other, wherein each of said assemblies that is coupled to a set of dual tires has two pistons, one for each tire, each of said pistons actuating a respective switch means that is connected to a transmitter, siad pistons being oriented perpendicularly to the plane of said respective tires;

(b) each of said transmitters comprises tire indicator means for indicating a low pressure condition, said tire indicator means comprising a light source;

(c) each of transmitters comprises test switch means for selectively operating said respective transmitter for test purposes;

(d) said vehicle is an 18-wheeled truck, there being a receiver located at the aft portion of the truck and a receiver located at the forward portion of the truck, with both of said receivers being connected to said warning means, wherein the distance between the transmitters and the receivers is minimized;

(e) said warning means comprises delay means for delaying the operation of said indicating means for a predetermined period of time during the application of a signal from one of said receivers to said warning means, wherein said delay means prevents said indicating means from being operated by false signals of short duration;

(f) said warning means comprises reset means for resetting said indicating means, wherein said indicating means can be reset when operating to determined if a false signal is present at said warning means;

(g) said piston has a threaded shaft with a nut located thereon, said switch means comprising a limit switch that is kept depressed by contacting said nut until said piston is pushed by said spring means due to low pressure, wherein said limit switch become closed and energizes said transmitter.